Interested in Applying for Brownfields Job Training Funding?
Return to Brownfields Job Training Grants.
If you would like to view this as a PDF, please see the Brownfields Job Training Grants Tip Sheet (pdf)
EPA Brownfields Job Training Grants: Interested in Applying for Funding?
Here’s some tips...
- Helpful Information to Review
- Share draft applications with your regional Technical Assistance to Brownfields TAB provider for review and comment
- Is your Organization Registered?
- Develop Partnerships, Research and Collect Data
Helpful Information to Review
- Visit and bookmark EPA’s Brownfields Job Training (JT) Grants website to learn about the program and for helpful resources.
- For the most recent Brownfields Job Training Grant Guidelines, please visit the solicitation page for more information.
- Review recent FAQs.
- Learn how to submit an application via www.grants.gov. All applications must be submitted via www.grants.gov. Register your organization in two government systems, www.sam.gov and www.grants.gov.
- Your organization must be registered to apply for federal grants.
- The registration process can take several weeks.
- For training, visit EPA’s How to Register to Apply for Grants website.
Share draft applications with your regional Technical Assistance to Brownfields TAB provider for review and comment
| Regional TAB Provider | Point of Contact |
|---|---|
| Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT); University of Connecticut | Randi Mendes |
| Region 2 (NJ, NY, PR, and VI); New Jersey Institute of Technology | Sean Vroom |
| Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, and WV); West Virginia University | Carrie Stanton |
| Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN); International City/County Management Association | Chris Harrell |
| Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI); Kansas State University | Blase Leven |
| Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX); Kansas State University | Blase Leven |
| Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, and NE); Kansas State University | Blase Leven |
| Region 8 (UT, MT, WY, CO, ND and SD); Kansas State University | Blase Leven |
| Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, and GU); Center for Creative Land Recycling | Claire Weston |
| Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, and WA); Center for Creative Land Recycling | Claire Weston |
Is your Organization Registered?
In order to apply for EPA grants, organizations must be registered in two government systems: www.sam.gov and www.grants.gov.
The registration process can take weeks, so please complete these 4 steps ASAP to be ready to submit an application by the deadline:
- Register in www.sam.gov or ensure your account is active.
- Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) generated in www.sam.gov.
- On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the UEI (generated by SAM.gov). See the www.sam.gov website for details
- Register in www.grants.gov or ensure your account is active.
- Have the E-Business Point of Contact designate an AOR in www.grants.gov.
- Only person(s) with the AOR role can submit applications in www.grants.gov.
- Provide KSU JT-TAB with contact information of individuals participating in grant application development. Individuals on the Professional Learning Community (PLC) listserv receive announcements to monthly professional development sessions including brownfields Job training publications and events.
Environmental Job Training Programs: Critical Components and Best Practices developed by Eastern Iowa Community College/ Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute.
- Review successful applications at Kansas State University’s Brownfields Job Training Grants Resource page.
- Download the slides and listen to the recording on Preparing a Successful EPA Job Training Grant Proposal developed by national TAB providers Kansas State University, West Virginia University, and University of Connecticut. Note: This recording includes specific information for the FY24 EPA Brownfields Job Training Grant which closed on August 2, 2023, however, contains helpful grant- writing strategies overall.
Develop Partnerships, Research and Collect Data
- Establish key partnerships. Determine whether your community should apply as an individual or a coalition. If you are applying as a coalition, identify who will be part of the coalition, who will be the lead coalition member and manage the cooperative agreement, and who will be members. Discuss what each coalition member’s role will be in the program. Once all of that is determined, document your agreement through a memorandum of understanding/agreement.
- Start planning now. Collaborate and develop partnerships with training providers, employers, and community-based organizations.
- See EPA’s Current and Past Grantees Map for potential job training providers you can collaborate with.
- Seek out additional relationships with organizations interested in leveraging services not supported by the grant including life skills training, internships, and student support services. Recruit a project leader responsible for establishing project milestones and coordinating the grant writing process.
- Assemble a grant writing team and consider delegating grant writing sections based on strengths.
- Consider developing an Advisory Committee early in the process to help guide the development of the job training program (i.e., curriculum development). The Advisory Committee could include local employers, training providers, community-based organizations, Department of Labor Workforce Centers (American Job Centers), etc. Send out calendar invites for regular meet ups to keep your application on track for submission by the deadline. Involve key partners in the grant development process.
- Identify the “Target Area” that has an unemployed/underemployed population impacted by the presence of one or more brownfield sites needing environmental training to meet the labor market needs of the Target area. Refer to the current RFA for definition of “Target Area.”
- Visit Cleanups in My Community Map for more information on where there are brownfields sites that have been addressed using EPA’s resources.
- Further refine your target community selection using EPA’s EJScreening and Mapping tool.
- With input from potential employers, the labor market assessment, and advisory board members, develop a training program and budget consistent with EPA’s training priorities.
- Conduct community and labor market assessments. Two questions need to be answered when selecting a community in which to operate.
- Are prospective participants, community residents, and governmental organizations willing to support a job training program?
- Is there sufficient employer interest in considering graduates for employment?
- Develop the training program and budget. Establish a strategy to market, Recruit, Screen, Support, Retain, and Track participants for training and future employment.
- Request partner letters to attach to the application.
- Begin writing the grant application early, unintended delays, draft reviews, and revisions can be expected as the application due date approaches.